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PARKERSBURG - The 48th annual Wood County Farmers Short Course will open on Thursday and will feature six educational meetings for local farmers and gardeners in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Sessions will be held 7 p.m. Thursdays in the Fort Boreman Room of the Judge Black Annex of the Wood County Courthouse, 315 Market St., across from the Blennerhassett Hotel.
The first session is "Changes in Antibiotics Available to Farmers." Program agendas are available at the WVU Extension Office by calling (304)-424-1960 or stopping by the fourth floor of the Wood County Courthouse.
All meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings are presented by the Wood County Beef Improvement Association with assistance from the WVU Extension Service.
"WVU Extension Service is still the best unbiased source of information for producers and the general public when it comes to agriculture topics, questions and expert advice. The Farmers' Short Course is a great educational opportunity for local farmers, gardeners and anyone interested in agriculture here in the Mid-Ohio Valley", said J.J. Barrett, WVU Agriculture Extension Agent.
"The short course is a great program for farmers," said Frank Kesterson, president of the Wood County Beef Improvement Association.
"The Wood County Beef Improvement has been sponsoring the Short Course for several years to promote farming here in Wood County and attract the next generation to agriculture," Kesterson said. "We want to make sure farmers from surrounding counties know they are welcome to come."
Participating in the first session of the Farmers Short Course are Dr. Max McCoy and Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick talking about "Working with Your Veterinarian: Changes in Antibiotics Available to Farmers." It is also 4-H and FFA night.
Starting June 11, many common antibiotics used by livestock producers such as tetracycline, sulfa drugs and penicillin will be prescription only. It is recommended that livestock owners who don't already have a good relationship with a trusted veterinarian get one and establish a relationship.
Farmers will need a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, or VCPR, in place to access antibiotics. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll have to buy those antibiotics from their veterinarian, but they will need a prescription from the veterinarian to purchase them.
Hay production is an important job on any livestock farm. On Jan. 19, Chris Penrose will speak on "Making Quality Hay."
Penrose is the OSU Extension Educator for Agriculture in Morgan County, specializing in forages and livestock management. He has been co-leader of the OSU Shale Education Program and instrumental in the "Pasture to Profit" educational series.
The first of the WVU Extension Dinner Meetings as part of the Farmers Short Course will be held Jan. 26. Quill Ward from Ward Stock Farm will present a program on "Extending the Grazing Season."
A meal with baked steak with mashed potatoes will be served before the main speaker begins.
Quill operates a 220-cow and calf beef farm in Harrison County and closely works with WVU Extension to achieve optimum cattle performance and pasture management. In this presentation he will discuss research to extend the grazing season, which he began 10 years ago. Since then, he has been able to extend grazing for his cattle for over 300 days a year.
Weeds compete with forage plants for precious nutrients and sunlight and decrease hay production. The Feb. 2 course features Dr. Rakesh Chandran discussing "Weed Control in Hay and Pastures."
This night is also a dinner meeting and a meal will be served before the main program.
Rakesh is the WVU Extension Weed Specialist and assists farmers with weed management issues and coordinates the Integrated Pest Management Programs at WVU.
Two topics will be discussed on Feb. 9, pricing agricultural land and marketing livestock.
Andrew Yoder from Kaufman Realty will talk about land values in West Virginia. Yoder is the 2016 and 2015 Ohio and West Virginia Auctioneer Bid Calling Champion.
Livestock farmers are always wanting to improve profitability on the farm, especially when selling animals. Daniel Mitchell will speak on "Improving Your Marketing Strategy." Mitchell will provide advice about marketing feeder calves and other livestock.
He and his father, Roger, operated Jackson County Livestock Market in Ripley, annually selling over $19 million of livestock.
Feb. 16 is Farm Bureau Night with two speakers, Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt and Dwayne O'Dell, director of government affairs for the West Virginia Farm Bureau. O'Dell and his family operate a 700-acre registered Angus farm near Amma.
Leonhardt is serving his second term as Commissioner of Agriculture. He will give a presentation entitled "West Virginia Agriculture Update." He and his wife, Shirley, raise cattle, goats, sheep and hay on their farm in Monongalia County.
For more information or to register, call J.J. Barrett at the Wood County WVU Extension office at (304)-424-1960. Kesterson can be reached at (304)-488-6128.